Saying sorry

Philippines
November 8, 2007 12:31am CST
As a parent, how easy is it for you to say sorry to your children when you realize you're the one who's wrong. In my country, it is not a norm and not easy at all for parents to say sorry to their children even if they know they're wrong. Parents have BIG pride because they're always thinking they're the parents and always in authority, so why should they? Until now, having a family of my own, I still never heard my parents saying sorry to us their children. Since then, we were brought up to listen and listen and listen. We cannot even reason out. I never do this with my children. If I am wrong, I usually say sorry, but not right away. I still think and weigh if I am really the one who is wrong. What about you? Is it just casual for you to do this?
1 person likes this
2 responses
@ayou82 (3450)
• Philippines
8 Nov 07
Well for me i have a different way of handling this kind. I grab my kids..HUg them and explain to them then I say sorry if i hurt them verbally..or physically. And i say Mummy loves you thats why she is doing a lot of things for you to benefit. I dont take things too long..I rather spread the cards in the table and then I apologise specially if I raise my voice on them uncontrollably.
• Philippines
9 Nov 07
I love that... saying sorry lovingly. I will try it next time.
@blueunicorn (2401)
• United States
8 Nov 07
Before I had children I always thought that I would never say I was sorry to my children. I always thought that I was the authority figure and they needed to listen to what I had to say. Since then, though, I have seen where my thinking was wrong. Even though I am the parent and have the authority I still make mistakes. I may react too strongly to a misbehavior because I'm grouchy about something else, I may misunderstand something, or I may just flat out not be thinking. I have apologised to my children many times, and I'm sure there are MANY more to come. I think it is good for the kids to see that parents make mistakes, too, and even big people have to face the music with an apology when they are wrong. I do find it fairly easy to say I'm sorry to them when I am wrong because their sad little faces show me when I've hurt them, and I don't like to see their feelings hurt.
• Philippines
9 Nov 07
Yes, it is more hurtful for parents to see their child feeling and looking hurt because of the mistakes the parent/s did to them. As parents we shouldn't be ashamed to say sorry to our kids because it does not mean we are "not being a parent" when we did so.